PILLAR OF SUCCESS AWARD
A BIG, BRIGHT FISH
The Foundation of Excellence
Every firm needs its pillars—the people you can count on when the pressure is high, the schedule is packed, and the clients need someone steady in their corner. Every firm needs someone who shows up, day after day, with impeccable preparation, unfailing empathy, and the kind of quiet strength that makes everyone around them better.
Every firm needs someone like Erica Benson.
We are honored to announce that Erica Benson is the recipient of Cape Fear Family Law’s 2025 Pillar of Success Award—our firm’s highest honor, recognizing the team member whose performance demonstrates foundational excellence across every measure that matters.
This award is based 100% on results. And Erica’s results speak for themselves.
What Makes a Pillar
The Pillar of Success Award isn’t given for a single moment of brilliance. It’s earned through sustained excellence—the kind that only becomes visible when you step back and look at the whole picture.
Exceptional reliability. Outstanding consistency. High follow-through with systems. Taking care of clients. A stabilizing force across cases and teams.
That’s Erica. Week after week, month after month, she delivers. Not flashy. Not loud. Just right—every single time.
Sunrise and Stability
Here’s something beautiful about Erica: every morning, she wakes up early, sits on the porch with her dog Katie, and watches the sunrise. Then she goes to the gym. Then she goes to work.
“It helps me get centered,” she explains, “and gives me the energy I need.”
That centering—that intentional start every single day—shows up in everything she does. She embodies intention. Erica builds stability into her life so she can bring stability to others. That’s not just good practice. That’s wisdom.
What Her Colleagues Say
- Janet Gemmell (CEO): “Master of the Craft. The client was well handled, all work done, and the case was in the right order!”
- Adrian Davis: “Hitting those KPIs out of the ballpark! No one does it better than ENB!”
- Jessica Arthur: “For turning a tough call from the Judge into a total courtroom victory!”
- Sarah Winkler: “For sharing her most Amazing charts, letters to clients, and tips to staying Organized!”
- Azalea Pinter: “You are loved and appreciated always.” #empathetic #possessintegrity
- Paige O’Bryan: “Slaying outfits, dressing in style 24/7!”
The Benson Team
Here’s the part that makes this story even sweeter: Erica is married to Granger Benson—who is also an attorney at Cape Fear Family Law, and who this year tied for the firm’s Top Litigator Award.
They share a home. They share a profession. They share a rescue pit bull named Katie who steals the covers and the hearts of everyone who meets her. And they share a partnership that shows up in their work every single day. Best of all – they share their stability and dedication with their clients in different and unique ways yet always taking care.
When Katie got sick and needed to go to the vet, Granger was supposed to be at calendar call. So Erica stepped in. When Erica was drowning in court appearances, Granger was there. Everyone notices, including the CEO when she says that the two of them demonstrate “married life tasks like two bosses!”
They’re building something beautiful together—a life, a family, roots in the Coastal Carolina community. And they’re doing it while serving families through their work.
Style, Grace, and a Little Collection of Heels
Let’s talk about something everyone at Cape Fear Family Law has noticed: Erica Benson has style.
She’s classically classy. Polished. Put-together. The kind of person who walks into a courtroom and commands respect before she says a single word. She has a small collection of heels—and she knows exactly when to wear each pair. It has happened that those shoes have suffered and had t to hide in the past when Janet brought sweet little Gracie, a pocket pit bull with a bright smile and whip of a tail, into the office. Erica’s shoes are not only stylish and classy, but apparently irresistible leather chew toys.
When Roy Jacobs had a fashion emergency, who did he call? Erica. When Janet wanted to celebrate someone’s sense of style, she responded with a GIF in the firm communication feed that said it all: “It’s called style, people.”
A Big, Bright Fish
When Erica first joined the firm, she described herself as feeling like “a fish out of water”—a Philly girl adjusting to the easygoing pace of coastal Carolina. The gentle rhythm of the ocean and everyone saying “Hello” and “How are y’all doing” was a welcome, but still a bit new.
Her colleagues saw something different. They saw a vibrant, determined presence. Not displaced, just growing. They saw a big, bright fish.
In Japanese tradition, the koi is a symbol of perseverance, strength, and becoming. A Koi does not rush its pond; it grows into it. With time, care, and steady movement, it transforms the water around it into home.
Erica has done exactly that.
She has more than swum. She has flourished. She has become one of the most reliable, consistent, excellent attorneys at Cape Fear Family Law. She has put down roots. She continues to build a life with her husband and their beloved Katie. Both professional and personal belonging exist in her life in a clear and bright way that all can see. She found her home.
Erica Benson is our 2025 Pillar of Success.
She is the foundation. She is the standard. She is exactly where she belongs. Congratulations, Erica. You’ve built something beautiful—and we’re so grateful you chose to build it here.
“I like how there is a focus on informing the client about every step of the process.
That really aligns with my own personal methods.”
— Erica Benson
